Show us your...First bike / Ultimate bike

[inkey$]

Few bikers on here and not sure if this has been done before, so here goes.

For me, aged 16 my mid Suffolk world was opened up when I bought my first bike; a 1982 Honda MB-5. Mine was white with red decals, red seat cover, front headlight fairing and Micron exhaust (and yes, life at the time felt like this picture!).

First ride out I thought you had to change down to first every time you turned left or right so left an impressive tyre mark on the road and learnt my first lesson then. Like others here, went to school on it for exams and met up with the 10-15 or other boys with their first sports mopeds. FS1Es, MBX50's, RD50s etc. Happy days and many a weekend spend just riding out into the countryside with a couple of mates



My ultimate bike turned into and still is the aesthetically perfect (if not mechanically) Ducati 916 which when it launched in the mid 90's looked like an avenging angel on two wheels.

[bladeowner]

My first was a 1965 Suzuki M12 Supersport 50cc I had in 1971:



I love the look of these MV's:

[RJS-Z4]

I'm about to get my first "bike", Inks, if you're a bike man, do you know much about them?

I've got a restore project coming my way... a 1985 (I think) Honda c90...

It's my dad's, it's been sat in his garage un-used for over 18 years,







I was planning on restoring it to mint/retro cool and running it over summer? Any advice?

ALL parts are in the backbox, but the fuel tank is filled with mud (vandalism) and yes, that's a genuine 4k miles..


Oh and as for my ultimate bike...

I've always wanted one since being a kid

[jimbo1958]

Yamaha FS1E bought brand new for cash from Waltam Cross Motorcycles for £199 just prior to my 16th Birthday in 1974.
These were unrestricted so 16yo riding a 50mph bike on "L" plates with absolutely no training required back then.
Remember getting up on my 16th Birthday, and getting "The Fizzy" out of the garage, done my paper round on it and then went to school on it.
Me and my mates used to go out on our bikes every night and often 10-20 of us would go down to Southend or Clacton at the weekend.
IIRC Beer was about 15p a Pint and Petrol about 35p a Gallon. Great days.

[Nathanhu]

My first bike was an RD 50mx, but no photos in afraid, I have still my favourite

[Dev]

I'm about to get my first "bike", Inks, if you're a bike man, do you know much about them?

I've got a restore project coming my way... a 1985 (I think) Honda c90...

It's my dad's, it's been sat in his garage un-used for over 18 years,

I was planning on restoring it to mint/retro cool and running it over summer? Any advice?

ALL parts are in the backbox, but the fuel tank is filled with mud (vandalism) and yes, that's a genuine 4k miles..

That C90 is lovely - if it were me, I'd get it functional and complete, then just use it! Making it pristine again, I don't know if I could do it - it's like when you see shiny tools that have never been used, it just seems a shame to have it mint.

If that Aye-Gee sticker is for the supplying dealer, they're still trading, big place in Welling. Actually, seeing you're from SE London/Kent, you probably already know that!

[inkey$]

I'm about to get my first "bike", Inks, if you're a bike man, do you know much about them?

I've got a restore project coming my way... a 1985 (I think) Honda c90...

It's my dad's, it's been sat in his garage un-used for over 18 years,

I was planning on restoring it to mint/retro cool and running it over summer? Any advice?

ALL parts are in the backbox, but the fuel tank is filled with mud (vandalism) and yes, that's a genuine 4k miles..

That C90 is lovely - if it were me, I'd get it functional and complete, then just use it! Making it pristine again, I don't know if I could do it - it's like when you see shiny tools that have never been used, it just seems a shame to have it mint.

If that Aye-Gee sticker is for the supplying dealer, they're still trading, big place in Welling. Actually, seeing you're from SE London/Kent, you probably already know that!

+1 Get it up to scratch and with 4k you'll be sitting on a real appreciating asset as these things are bulletproof and have become legendary. Great retro summer runaround and load sod parts available online.

[Stuart Truman]

First bike was one of these, but nowhere near as good a condition. My first motorised purchase taught me all about not buying lemons. Bent forks, a cracked frame and a shot engine! That turned into my first restoration (or said another way, my first lesson in throwing good money after bad)



My ultimate bike, well....

Either I'm with Inks on the Ducati, or it would be one of these...



I'll own neither as I'd turn myself into a smear on the road, I don't have the skill to handle either.

As an "I want" it's one of these, I rented one for a couple of days in Vegas earlier this year and I'd have one in a heartbeat. Just not enough spare cash to buy one and keep it.

[Sketchley]

[RJS-Z4]

I'm about to get my first "bike", Inks, if you're a bike man, do you know much about them?

I've got a restore project coming my way... a 1985 (I think) Honda c90...

It's my dad's, it's been sat in his garage un-used for over 18 years,

I was planning on restoring it to mint/retro cool and running it over summer? Any advice?

ALL parts are in the backbox, but the fuel tank is filled with mud (vandalism) and yes, that's a genuine 4k miles..

That C90 is lovely - if it were me, I'd get it functional and complete, then just use it! Making it pristine again, I don't know if I could do it - it's like when you see shiny tools that have never been used, it just seems a shame to have it mint.

If that Aye-Gee sticker is for the supplying dealer, they're still trading, big place in Welling. Actually, seeing you're from SE London/Kent, you probably already know that!

+1 Get it up to scratch and with 4k you'll be sitting on a real appreciating asset as these things are bulletproof and have become legendary. Great retro summer runaround and load sod parts available online.

Thanks chaps, I had no idea who Aye-Gee were, so thanks on that front The bike is currently in Luton as it moved when the old man did. Just need to sort out getting it back here.

I can't help but want to make it mint. It shouldn't take too much...

It needs a lick of paint on the front fender, and then it'll be fully detailed (lots of chrome polishing ), really tidied right up and finally, over haul the engine/get it running.

I know NOTHING about bike engines, so It'll be a fun learning curve.

[Breaker]

Yamaha FS1E bought brand new for cash from Waltam Cross Motorcycles for £199 just prior to my 16th Birthday in 1974.
These were unrestricted so 16yo riding a 50mph bike on "L" plates with absolutely no training required back then.
Remember getting up on my 16th Birthday, and getting "The Fizzy" out of the garage, done my paper round on it and then went to school on it.
Me and my mates used to go out on our bikes every night and often 10-20 of us would go down to Southend or Clacton at the weekend.
IIRC Beer was about 15p a Pint and Petrol about 35p a Gallon. Great days.

Same bike here as my first. Same colour also.
Day after my 16th Birthday. Never ridden on the road before. Turned up to the shop, L plates fitted and road it home!! I have no idea how I managed it! Times have changed as a new rider now thank goodness!!

My ultimate sports bike is still the BMW RR Sport.

[Nelly Welly]

My first real bike 1977, had a succession of put put bikes eg PC50, Ss50 etc then this my pride and joy on my 17th.



Only problem was every time it rained the ignition switch would fill with water.

Left them behind for riding ever since but had a Goldwing a Van-Van and a KH350 at various points of depression !

Finally gave up bikes to buy my first sports car an MG BGT 1973.

[GP06Roadster]

Circa 1977 baby!

[Russ59]

Yamaha FS1E bought brand new for cash from Waltam Cross Motorcycles for £199 just prior to my 16th Birthday in 1974.
These were unrestricted so 16yo riding a 50mph bike on "L" plates with absolutely no training required back then.
Remember getting up on my 16th Birthday, and getting "The Fizzy" out of the garage, done my paper round on it and then went to school on it.
Me and my mates used to go out on our bikes every night and often 10-20 of us would go down to Southend or Clacton at the weekend.
IIRC Beer was about 15p a Pint and Petrol about 35p a Gallon. Great days.

+1
I remember it well, Baja brown was the colour of mine and as you say £199 brand new.

[dazols]

well my first bike was a yamaha sr125



and my last three bikes have been

kawasaki 750ltd import custom i did love this bike. then i got my dream bike a hog. then my dream was shattered as it was crap. not a nice bike to ride nothing like the ltd. so went for a more sporty bike and got the rizla that was an animal